Even as we head into 2022, the effects from the pandemic and events of 2020 continue to be felt, particularly in the philanthropic community. In this vibrant conversation with Glen W. Johnson, President of FOX, Bruce Boyd, Principal and Senior Managing Director of Arabella Advisors, Nancy Roob, CEO of Blue Meridian Partners and President and CEO of The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, and Nick Tedesco, President and CEO of the National Center for Family Philanthropy, we discuss four separate-but-related issues.
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Just as government and businesses require sound governance to do their work well, so too do families—and their philanthropy. The Family Governance Pyramid provides a model and framework for philanthropic families that is even more relevant and necessary today than when it was first introduced nearly two decades ago. This article by the National Center for Family Philanthropy provides some perspective on why, and how, families can apply this model to their family and philanthropy, for the good of all.
This issue brief examines the kinds of decisions that family foundations often face and sets out practical, easy-to-apply guidelines for ensuring that the foundation’s decision-making methods vary appropriately, as conditions and circumstances change.
Across the world, philanthropy is undergoing a transformation that offers both exciting opportunities and complex challenges. With so much in flux, emerging donors and established funders are seeking new models not only for funding strategies and impact measures, but also for organizational design and management systems that will serve them well into the 21st century.
As high-net-worth investors discuss plans for charitable giving and investing with their financial advisors, it is absolutely crucial for them to be on the same page in terms of the outcomes desired, both financially and philanthropically. For this reason, advisors and their clients need a set vocabulary of terms going into the first meeting. Only then can they discuss goals (and ways of achieving them) without stumbling over communication roadblocks.
The act of giving through family philanthropy can be a transformative experience for both family members and the communities they serve, sometimes with an impact that lasts generations. However, achieving a positive, enduring impact requires purposeful vision and decision making throughout the lifespan of the family's philanthropic work. With the deep experiences of philanthropic families and advisors showing the way forward, the roadmap to meaningful giving can be made easier and more effective.